A disc drive may include one or more data storage discs in a stack. Each data storage surface of a disc in the disc drive has its own associated head gimbal assembly (HGA) used for reading and writing information thereon. Each HGA is attached to an actuator arm which positions the HGA to located data tracks on the disc surface. In a disc drive having more than one disc, an actuator arm located between two discs may carry two HGAs: one for each adjacent disc. An actuator assembly of a disc drive generally includes as many actuator arms as necessary to physically access each data storage surface of the discs in the disc drive.
HGAs are generally connected to actuator arms using a mounting method known as “swaging.” In swaging, a hole in a first piece, e.g., an actuator arm, is aligned with a similar hole which extends from a second piece, e.g., an HGA. The coincident hole which extends from the second piece is smaller than the hole in the first piece. For example, the coincident hole may be formed from a hollow tube. A rounded object, e.g., a ball or needle, is forced through the smaller hole to expand the material surrounding the smaller hole into the larger hole and lock the two pieces together.
Specially configured tooling is typically used for the swaging process to install HGAs onto actuator arms. To support an HGA and corresponding actuator arm during a swaging process, a support element (spacer key) is wedged against a baseplate of an HGA after the HGA is properly aligned with the actuator arm. This holds the HGA in place by pinching the baseplate of the HGA against the actuator arm during the swaging process.